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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: No more return-exchange on Strong switchers
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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler
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Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 01-24-2009 10:04 AM
Had a 2-3K switcher go this past week. We called our dealer for a RA number, and guess what? We were told Strong is no longer doing repair/exchanges. Now we will have to send the unit for repair, and then they will ship it back to us.
This basically sucks. We have only ten screens equipped with Highlighter II consoles, eight with 2K-3K, and two 4K. So, we keep a spare of each.
So, what happens now if we get another failure while the spare is out for repair? We're screwed.
To add insult to injury, our dealer told our Managing Director that Strong is bypassing dealers on bids for new equipment, contacting the buyer directly if they do not chose Strong equipment and offering lower prices direct. If this is true, then that sucks, too.
Our equipment was manufactured in 1999, and we have had at least six power supplies go. Too bad we didn't know then what we know now.
In doing a search, I've noted that we're not alone when it comes to doing business with Strong. John C. Arbuckle was right when he said: "you get what you pay for".
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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays
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Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999
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posted 01-24-2009 10:42 AM
John, with a failure rate of one in almost every two years, it's not likely you'll lose another one at the same time one is out for repair.
[rant on] I work for Strong, and they have been an exceptionally good employer. Further, I am justifiably proud to be associated with a company that has such a rich, pioneering history in this business. They've also invested a lot of time and money into training me and others for Digital Cinema work, making us better technicians and more efficient, and I will stay here for as long as they will have me. Not that you are guilty of this, John, but it hurts me to hear the badmouthing and the childish name-calling of my company by some on this forum... the company that has treated me so well and with such respect for the past 2 1/2 years.
There has been a lot of transitioning of late, first with integrating Strong Technical Services, and now with the shifting future of the Digital Cinema paradigm. Times are getting tight right now, everywhere. With 35mm sales and installations diminishing in general, the repair/return policy is likely a cost-saving measure and much better than the alternative. [/rant off]
DISCLAIMER!!! IMPORTANT! While I am a happy employee of Ballantyne/Strong... I do NOT speak on behalf of the company. Neither am I an official administrative representative!! Actually, they have a policy against employees posting in industry forums, yet they have kindly made an exception for me because I have not heretofore taken a stance in these matters, and because of my long history here.
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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler
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Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 01-24-2009 01:33 PM
Thanks, Mark. Agree with the skiing, as I was in Park City along with our managing director on vacation last February.
Tim, I am sure you do a great job with Strong and I respect your opinions on this forum. I am simply telling things as they are. I had one of our 4K supplies go out the Christmas before last. Put in the spare, and that one went bad, too! I ended up changing out the collet and ran a 3000K bulb on the remaining spare 2-3K supply. Light was for shit. It was either that or lose our second biggest house for the holidays. By the way, we didn't get any units back from Strong for several weeks, so you can see why I'm not pleased with the most recent developments.
As for the comments by our dealer concerning Strong, I am only relating things as they were told to our Managing Director. I grew up with Strong equipment, Supers and XL's. I can only tell you that my experiences with Strong equipment ain't like the old days.
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Tony Bandiera Jr
Film God
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Posts: 3067
From: Moreland Idaho
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted 01-24-2009 05:00 PM
quote: James Westbrook I would hazard a guess that Strong is looking to phase out obsolete technology, or what could become obsolete in a few years.
Since when are switching power supplies and Xenon arc lamps considered "obsolete technology"?
Strong (and I'm refraining from my favorite pet names for them out of respect for Tim) has had a LONG history of piss-poor customer service and bad attitude when they're called on their mistakes.
To whit:
I ordered two projectors for a big-name celebrity screening room. On the purchase order, and on the packing list with the machines, it was clearly indicated that the soundheads are to have take-up kits installed (at $400 EACH for a lousy extra groove pulley for the roundthane).
Guess what? Not only did they arrive without the kits installed (or even thrown into the crate so I could install them myself) but they fought me for over a week before they finally sent the kits!!
Oh, and BOTH of the 1014 heads that they claimed were "run-in at the factory" were so tight I couldn't turn them over!! I had to open the back door and re-adjust the vertical drive assembly to get them to run smooth.
On one of my last jobs I went through THREE of their 2k switchers!! First one died within an hour of operation, the second one WOULDN'T SHUT OFF even with the control leads COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED!! The third one works..so far.
To Strong's credit, and in the interest of fairness, they DID ship the two exchange supplies UPS 3 day select. Sadly though, this was a rare exception in good customer service from them.
If I were to outline all the issues I'd had with them over the last several years, I would need two posts of a full forum page each.
![[thumbsdown]](graemlins/thumbsdown.gif) [ 01-25-2009, 02:13 AM: Message edited by: Tony Bandiera Jr ]
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